Junior Johnson – Frontstretchhttps://www.frontstretch.com
Best seat at the track, best view on the web!Thu, 14 May 2020 13:27:40 +0000en-US
hourly
1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.170371303Turn Back the Clock: 1992 NASCAR Seasonhttps://www.frontstretch.com/2020/03/24/turn-back-the-clock-1992-nascar-season/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=turn-back-the-clock-1992-nascar-season
https://www.frontstretch.com/2020/03/24/turn-back-the-clock-1992-nascar-season/#commentsWed, 25 Mar 2020 03:25:45 +0000https://www.frontstretch.com/?p=228542It may be the greatest season NASCAR has ever had. The 1992 season was one that changed the sport in many ways. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty was in the midst of his fan appreciation tour, marking the end of his 35-year career. Petty made the announcement during the 1991 season and from …

It may be the greatest season NASCAR has ever had. The 1992 season was one that changed the sport in many ways. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty was in the midst of his fan appreciation tour, marking the end of his 35-year career. Petty made the announcement during the 1991 season and from the get-go it was unlike anything this sport has ever seen.

Fans flocked to the racetracks to pay tribute to their hero. Every racetrack that year had tributes to Petty and fans were dressed in their blue and orange merchandise to root for the King one last time. Petty’s season on the track was filled with struggles and misfortunes, but the fan appreciation tour proved that the King wasn’t just that on the track, but off of it as well.

It wasn’t just Petty’s retirement that made the 1992 season so special. The season would also be remembered for an epic points battle between three NASCAR legends. However, in order to understand the points battle of 1992, you have to look back some key changes that occurred during 1991.

One of the major players for the championship throughout the 1992 season was fan favorite Bill Elliott. Elliott was in a new ride for the first time in his career driving Junior Johnson’s famous No. 11 car. He had discussed with Johnson to drive his No. 11 car prior to the 1987 season but those talks stalled, and Elliott returned to the family ran Harry Melling operation for ’87 and beyond. He won the championship in 1988 and stayed with the team through 1991.

Yet, the team and car that made Elliott famous had its struggles in 1991. They were still reeling from the impact of a devastating pit road accident at the end of the 1990 season that resulted in the death of pit crew member Mike Ritch. Ritch was changing Elliott’s right rear tire under a caution period when Ricky Rudd lost control of his car and spun. He got pinned between the two cars and died as a result of his injuries. The incident had a devastating effect on the tight-knit Harry Melling team. Dan Elliott, Bill’s brother, was the front tire changer that day and retired due to the tragedy.

The sport had changed, and the magic the Elliott’s had at the end of the 1980s was beginning to fade. The 1991 season was a season marked by mechanical failures and disappointment. Elliott finished 11th in points, the first time since 1982 that he had finished outside the top 10 in the championship standings.

That led to some changes. Elliott was moving to the iconic No. 11 car for the 1992 season and the Harry Melling team was no longer run by the Elliott family. It was a fresh start for the Georgia native, who at 35 years old, was looking to jump start his career.

Another important change that took place in 1991 that had an impact in 1992 was on the No. 28 Robert Yates Racing team with driver Davey Allison. Entering the 1991 season, Allison had established himself as one of the premier drivers in NASCAR. From 1987-1990, Allison won eight races but had finished in the top 10 in points just one time. They knew the horsepower was there, Robert Yates’ engines had been a force in NASCAR for nearly 20 years.

They knew they had the driver. Allison had won at several different racetracks in his career and proved he had what was needed to be a top-notch driver. What they hadn’t found yet was the right crew chief to mix with Allison. The team tried several different options early in Davey’s career, including hiring veteran crew chief ‘Suitcase’ Jake Elder for the 1990 season.

Entering 1991 Elder was still turning the wrenches, but after a slow start, the team realized a change needed to be made. Heading into the fifth race of the season at Darlington Raceway, the Robert Yates Racing team made a change that finally turned the operation into a championship contender. The team hired crew chief Larry McReynolds. McReynolds had been working the King Racing team since 1986, winning races with both Rudd and Brett Bodine.

McReynolds brought stability to the team and the relationship between Allison and him blossomed from the beginning. Allison finished runner-up in his first race with McReynolds and the team took off. They would rebound from the tough start to the season to finish third in points in 1991 and recorded five victories. It was the best season of Allison’s career. It was clear, entering the 1992 season, the No. 28 Robert Yates Racing Ford was considered as one of the favorites to win the championship.

Alan Kulwicki was also coming into the 1992 season with a fresh outlook. Kulwicki was never considered a championship contender in his career, but a big break in the 1991 season helped get his team to the point where they could be.

Kulwicki was the last of a dying breed. He was an owner-driver, an independent. In the late 1980s he was approached by several big-name car owners, including Junior Johnson and Rick Hendrick, to drive one of their cars. He had turned them down because he wanted to make it as an owner driver.

The challenges for a driver to be making all the business decisions and also working to make the cars go fast was a lot to ask. Plus, Kulwicki was a racer, he didn’t come with a ton of money, nor a prestigious racing background like many of the owners did. He made his name on the ASA circuit, and many thought him starting his own team was a way to establish himself in the Cup Series before making a jump to a bigger team. He won the 1986 Rookie of the Year Award, but had just two wins to his name entering the 1991 season.

A bigger problem, though, was that long-time sponsor Zerex left the team after the 1990 season. Early in 1991, Kulwicki had no sponsor but was determined to run full-time to try and attract a sponsor. That’s eventually what happened.

Hooters Restaurants was a supporter of a little-known driver named Mark Stahl. Stahl was scheduled to run the full 1991 season with Hooters support, but he had a tough time making races. Stahl failed to qualify for the first four events, the last one coming at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the hometown track of the sponsor.

Kulwicki took the pole that day and Hooters saw an opportunity. They put their logo on his car and began a relationship with him moving forward. He finished the 1991 season well, winning at Bristol Motor Speedway. With Hooters committed to a multi-year agreement, it was time for Kulwicki to take him and his team to the next level.

It was obvious from the start the Elliott/Johnson combination was going to be a force to be reckon with. Elliott started second in the Daytona 500, alongside teammate Sterling Marlin. During the early stages of The Great American Race, both Elliott and Marlin were the cars to beat. An accident on the backstretch on lap 93 involved 13 cars including both of Johnson’s cars. Not involved in the wreck was Davey Allison, who instantly became the top contender that afternoon.

Allison dominated the event from lap 100. The only challenger he had was Morgan Shepherd, who was trying to pass him in the closing stages. He held him off and Allison won his first Daytona 500 and set his 1992 campaign in motion.

Following Daytona, the No. 11 team would rattle off four consecutive victories. Elliott dominated Rockingham and then beat Kulwicki at the line to win Richmond Raceway. At Atlanta, pit strategy aided him to his third consecutive victory, and he would win Darlington after leading the final 45 laps.

It was an impressive start for the team, but they still didn’t lead the points. That title went to Allison, who followed his Daytona 500 victory with four consecutive top-five finishes. At Bristol, Allison’s championship hopes took a major hit for the first time. During a practice session, Allison crashed hard and tore cartilage in his rib cage. He would start the race at Bristol, but was later relieved by Sterling Marlin, who had crashed earlier in the event.

It was a symbol of Allison’s season. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows. He would win the following weekend’s race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he’d wear a rib brace and drove the race in a ton of pain. He’d win at Talladega in April and heading into the Winston — NASCAR’s All-Star Race — Allison led the points and was a favorite for the championship.

Elliott, meanwhile, began to have some issues. After his four consecutive victories the No. 11 team began to struggle. He wrecked at Bristol, eliminating the best short track car the Junior Johnson team had, and it was clear the speed from early in the season was just not there. Still, he was second in the standings heading into the Winston.

Then there was Kulwicki, who never showed a ton of pizzazz but was always consistent. He’d win Bristol in dominating fashion, and that would put his team on a string of consistent finishes. By the time of the Winston, Kulwicki was fourth in points.

The 1992 Winston is a race that will be remembered as the first time the event was run under the lights. The All-Star like event had gone dull in the years prior and to add some juice and to keep the title sponsor of the race interested, Charlotte Motor Speedway decided to add lights to their facility. The Winston would be the featured event. It was a risky proposition as no one had ever lit a 1.5-mile track before, but the race did not disappoint.

Davey Allison led every lap of the first segment. Kyle Petty did the same in segment two. When it came time for the final 10-lap segment, three black cars were in-front and it was shaping up to be an all-time finish.

When the field came around to take the white flag, Dale Earnhardt led Kyle Petty by a car length with Allison in third trailing closely behind. Petty closed the gap in turns 1 and 2 and had a run on Earnhardt going down the backstretch. He shot to the inside of Earnhardt, who drove Petty down to the banking. Meanwhile, Allison closed in on both of them and something was going to have to give.

As they entered turn 3, Earnhardt lost control of his No. 3 car and was sent into a slide. Petty slowed to avoid the spinning No. 3 car and Allison came with a head of steam off of turn 4. Allison edged in front of Petty by a nose at the start-finish line to win the Winston.

Then, contact between Petty and Allison sent Allison hard into the outside wall. As announcer Buddy Baker said on the broadcast, “He won the race but he sure paid the price for it.” Allison’s car was destroyed, and it laid at the bottom of the track facing the wrong direction.

What had become the best finish in NASCAR All-Star Race history suddenly turned as many spectators wondered the fate of Allison. He was transported to a local hospital. Just a few weeks after a bad crash at Bristol and one at Martinsville Speedway, Allison had yet another scary accident.

He escaped the deal with a bruised lung and a concussion. Battered and bruised, Allison was going to race the Coca-Cola 600 the following week and try and continue his pursuit for the championship.

Speaking of Earnhardt, his 1992 season was a season to forget. He won the Coca-Cola 600 in May and found himself second in the standings leaving Sears Point in June. However, that is where the tailspin began. Engine issues caused four DNFs in the final 17 events and other issues plagued the team as well. After an engine failure at Martinsville dropped the team to 12th in the standings with just five races to go, it was clear another championship year was not going to happen for Earnhardt. That season marked the final year for crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine with the team as Richard Childress Racing would hire Andy Petree as crew chief prior to the 1993 season.

Meanwhile, the points battle continued to be hot and heavy all season long. Allison led by 46 points over Elliott when the season moved to Pocono in July. Kulwicki, who had won at Pocono Raceway earlier in the year, trailed Allison by 136 points.

Davey’s season would take yet another frightening turn at the Tricky Triangle. It had been six weeks since his accident at Charlotte, and for the first time since his accident at Bristol, Allison was starting to feel good. The No. 28 Ford took the pole and was dominating the event in the first 130 laps. A caution put Allison a little deeper in the field due to pit strategy on lap 149. He was racing Darrell Waltrip for the fifth spot, when contact between the two sent Allison into a spin coming off of turn 2.

Allison’s car picked up air, spun around and began to topple over, eight to 10 times. The car was mangled. It was a frightening scene. The carnage was so bad that fellow driver Mark Martin radioed into his team and said they should get a body bag ready because no one could have survived that crash.

At the same track that nearly claimed his father’s life four years earlier, Allison’s car laid mangled and battered. Fans and media members alike wondered if a similar fate had happened. It was his third major crash in four months.

He survived the incident, but he didn’t get away unscathed. Allison was diagnosed with a broken and dislocated right wrist, a broken right forearm, a broken right collarbone and a severally bruised face. He had multiple surgeries where two screws were inserted into his wrist and plates were used to reconnect both bones in his forearm. He was released from the hospital on Friday and immediately flew down to Talladega for the next race.

In order to get points and keep his championship hopes alive, Allison had to start the race, as NASCAR rules stated that the driver who started the race earned the points. Bobby Hillin Jr. was announced as the relief driver for Allison, as it was clear he would not be able to go the full distance.

Allison started the race, and a brief rain storm on lap 5 brought out a caution and allowed Allison to get out of the car and Hillin to get in. Hillin would drive the No. 28 car to a third-place finish and retake the points lead for Allison, who had lost it following the previous week’s accident. A week off after Talladega allowed Allison to mend a bit further, but more heartbreak would occur just a few weeks later.

When the series entered Michigan International Speedway in August, Elliott led Allison by 17 points. Elliott’s season had been up and down since the start of the year, but he had taken the points lead and was going to one of his best racetracks. Kulwicki was still showing consistency. He trailed by 91 points in third.

Allison was still healing from his injuries but was planning on running the full event for the first time since Pocono. However, the weekend took a sudden turn on Thursday. Clifford Allison, Davey’s only brother, was practicing for the NASCAR Busch Series event when he blew a tire and hit the outside wall head-on between turns 3 and 4. He died on the way to the hospital.

The accident had a devastating effect on Davey Allison. He decided to run that weekend’s race at Michigan and then fly home to Hueytown, Ala., for the services on Monday. Allison finished fifth, two spots behind Elliott, who stretched his points lead to 37 points leaving Michigan.

The up-and-down year for Allison would continue a few weeks later at Darlington for the running of the Southern 500. After winning the Daytona 500 and the Winston 500 at Talladega, Allison was eligible for the Winston Million. The deal was that if a driver could win three of the four crown jewel events of NASCAR, title sponsor R.J. Reynolds would give the driver $1 million. Elliott accomplished this feat in 1985, and Allison was trying to become only the second driver to do it since it was instituted seven years earlier.

The No. 28 car was strong all day long, and Allison found himself running second late in the event with rains approaching. Crew Chief Larry McReynolds told a pit crew member to look at the radar and see if the rain was going to be bad enough to end the race or if it was just a passing shower.

As legend goes, the crew member told McReynolds that it was clear. Allison pitted from the second position, and Darrell Waltrip ended up with the lead. A few laps later, the rains came and the caution came out with Allison in the fifth spot. Later, it was realized the pit crew member could not read radar and thought green meant the forecast was clear. The decision to pit cost Allison a shot at a million dollars. He also lost points to Bill Elliott, who finished third.

Elliott’s lead would stretch to 137 points after his runner-up finish at Dover International Speedway. And after an accident in that race, Kulwicki trailed by 278 points. However, the Dover race was a monumental turning point for both teams.

Elliott was dominating the Dover event when on the final pit stop, a disagreement occurred between Johnson and crew chief Tim Brewer. As legend goes, the debate in the pits was to take two tires or four tires. Second place driver Ricky Rudd had taken two, and Elliott and his team had a decision to make. Ultimately, four tires was the call, and the No. 11 lost the lead. Elliott ran out of laps to catch race winner Rudd. The decision, no matter who made the call, cost Elliott the victory and had lasting effects on the team. The long relationship that Johnson and Brewer had was destroyed, and they didn’t speak to each other the rest of the year. For the 1993 season, Brewer moved to Bill Davis Racing and Mike Beam took over as crew chief of the No. 11 car.

Coincidence or not, from that point forward, the No. 11 team was never the same. The next three races, the team had mechanical issues, and at North Wilkesboro Speedway, a track where Johnson’s team usually dominated, the team finished 26th after a horrendous day.

Elliott’s lead shrank to 39 points. Allison closed in, but it was Kulwicki who really capitalized off Elliott’s misfortunes. He recorded two top fives including a second at Charlotte. He closed the points gap considerable, and after overheating issues derailed Elliott’s day at Phoenix, the points battle was as tight as ever heading into the season finale at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Ultimately, six drivers had a mathematical chance at the championship going into the final race at Atlanta. Only Elliott, Allison and Kulwicki had a realistic chance, though. Entering the race, Allison led Kulwicki by 30 points and Elliott by 40 points. No matter what happened, the 1992 Hooters 500 at Atlanta was going to be a race everyone remembered for years to come, and that’s exactly what it became.

The pre-race festivities included Richard Petty’s children: son Kyle and daughters Sharon, Lisa and Rebecca giving the command to start the engines. “Daddy, Start Your Engine,” the foursome said with tears rolling down their faces. It was the 1184th and final start of Petty’s career. His 1992 season on the track was a tough one. Entering Atlanta, he was 26th in the standings, and his best finish were two 15th-place runs, coming at Talladega and Michigan. Petty led the field on the pace laps to honor his legendary career before dropping back to his 39th-place starting position.

And while the sun set on one legend’s career, a future legend made his Cup Series debut. Jeff Gordon had a big year driving the full Busch Series schedule for Bill Davis Racing in 1992. The 20-year-old driver from Vallejo, Calif., won three races and finishing fourth in the standings. Gordon was supposed to move to the Cup Series with Davis, but instead struck a deal with car owner Rick Hendrick to run the full 1993 season and beyond. Gordon started his first race from 21st.

But as the green flag approached, all eyes were on the championship race. Elliott rolled off from the 11th spot with Kulwicki starting 14th and Allison 17th.

The action started early when pole sitter Rick Mast and outside pole sitter Brett Bodine got together on lap 1. Six cars were involved in the accident, including Allison, who got significant damage on the left rear of his car. The No. 28 team was able to fix it and continue, but Allison lost some track position due to the incident.

Allison wasn’t the only one of the contenders having issues. On the first pit stop of the day, Kulwicki lost first gear, and his pit crew would have to push him out of the pits for the remainder of the race. The problem wouldn’t hurt Kulwicki at speed, but on restarts and pit stops, he was at a major disadvantage. Not even 50 laps into the race and both Kulwicki and Allison had obstacles to overcome.

On lap 96, another major incident happened and this time it involved Petty, whose car caught on fire and came to a rest on the inside of the track. He got out of the car to a round of applause, as many thought his legendary driving career ended right there. While the Hooters 500 was already eventful, it would get a lot more interesting on lap 254.

Allison was running in fifth, and after overcoming a couple of early issues, was finally in a spot where his team could feel comfortable when their season came to an abrupt end. Ernie Irvan blew a tire and spun in directly in front of the No. 28. Allison had no place to go and slammed into Irvan’s No. 4 Kodak Chevrolet. Both cars went spinning into the inside wall. The damage on Allison’s car was heavy, and the No. 28 car had to be towed to the garage. The dream of winning the championship was over for Allison. He eventually returned to the race but finished 27th, dropping him to third in the point standings.

The championship race was now down to Elliott and Kulwicki. Throughout the race, both drivers swapped the lead multiple times. One of the big factors of the race was who was going to lead the most laps, as it carried an additional five-point bonus.

As the final pit stop approached, Kulwicki was in front and led one more lap than his team wanted him to, as they were afraid he was going to run out of gas. The gamble paid off as it was that one lap that made the difference. Kulwicki led the most laps, and that 10-point swing was huge. Elliott was now in the lead, but as long as Kulwicki finished second, he would be the champion.

That’s exactly what happened. Elliott took the victory and Kulwicki finished second. It was an emotional victory lane celebration for Kulwicki, who proved everyone that an owner-driver could still win the championship. It was a gratifying day for the No. 7 team, but for Elliott, it was bittersweet. The No. 11 team won their fifth race of the year but lost the championship. Kulwicki won by a mere 10 points.

Lost in the excitement of the championship battle was the No. 43 car of Petty returning to the track. Petty’s car now had no sheet metal on the front and entered the track on the final lap to finish the race and his career. After the track cleared, Petty gave his fans one more lap, waving to the fans one last time and saying goodbye to the fans he loved so much. Country band Alabama played a song named “Richard Petty Fans” as a tribute to the racing legend.

The 1992 season was one of the most memorable in NASCAR history. What makes the 1992 season even more remarkable was what happened in 1993.

On April 1, 1993, Kulwicki and three others would die in a plane crash heading to Bristol, Tenn. Just a few short months later, Allison would pass away in a helicopter crash at Talladega. Two of the three championship contenders for 1992 were gone by the time the next championship was crowned. Both drivers would be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2019.

Kulwicki’s race team was sold to Geoff Bodine in the middle of the 1993 season and Robert Yates Racing hired Ernie Irvan to drive the No. 28 car in 1994. The organization would eventually win a championship in 1999 with driver Dale Jarrett. But for all involved with RYR in 1992, that season still stings to this day. Team owner Robert Yates found out he would be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame shortly before passing away on Oct. 2, 2017.

As for Elliott, 1992 was his final chance at a championship. The No. 11 team never again found the success it had in 1992. Elliott won just one more race with the Junior Johnson team. Elliott would move on to run his own race team in 1995 and eventually retire from full-time competition after the 2003 season. He has 44 career wins and is now a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Legendary car owner Johnson never again competed for a championship after 1992. After the 1995 season, Johnson closed the doors of his shop and sold his operation. He was honored as an inaugural member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with Petty. Johnson passed away on Dec. 20, 2019.

The 1992 season is a special season and one that race fans will never forget. It had a big impact on the sport, and we’ll never see a season like it ever again.

]]>https://www.frontstretch.com/2020/03/24/turn-back-the-clock-1992-nascar-season/feed/10228542Junior Johnson, NASCAR Hall of Famer, Dies at 88https://www.frontstretch.com/2019/12/20/junior-johnson-nascar-hall-of-famer-dies-at-88/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=junior-johnson-nascar-hall-of-famer-dies-at-88
https://www.frontstretch.com/2019/12/20/junior-johnson-nascar-hall-of-famer-dies-at-88/#commentsFri, 20 Dec 2019 23:02:20 +0000https://www.frontstretch.com/?p=220184NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Junior Johnson has passed away at age 88, according to a Friday report on NASCAR.com. Robert Glenn Johnson Jr. racked up 50 NASCAR Cup Series wins over the course of his 14-year driving career, including a 1960 Daytona 500 triumph and 13 victories in the 1965 season. The moonshine …

NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Junior Johnson has passed away at age 88, according to a Friday report on NASCAR.com.

Robert Glenn Johnson Jr. racked up 50 NASCAR Cup Series wins over the course of his 14-year driving career, including a 1960 Daytona 500 triumph and 13 victories in the 1965 season.

The moonshine runner-turned-icon was a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s first class in 2010 and become an owner after his retirement from driving. He won two additional Daytona 500s in his ownership role, those victories coming in 1969 and 1977 courtesy of LeeRoy Yarbrough and Cale Yarborough respectively. Johnson is also credited with the first use of drafting in NASCAR.

“Junior Johnson truly was the ‘Last American Hero,’” NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France said in a statement. “Between his on-track accomplishments and his introduction of Winston to the sport, few have contributed to the success of NASCAR as Junior has. The entire NASCAR family is saddened by the loss of a true giant of our sport, and we offer our deepest condolences to Junior’s family and friends during this difficult time.”

The driver had reportedly entered hospice care this week after his health began to decline, according to NASCAR.com.

After a broken arm cut his baseball aspirations short, Johnson was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers during the sport’s golden anniversary year in 1998.

His first opportunity behind the wheel came at Darlington Speedway in 1953. Johnson finished that year’s Southern 500 in 38th, but scored five wins two years later in 1955.

Heralded as ‘The Last American Hero,” Johnson was profiled by Tom Wolfe in Esquire and the piece received a film adaptation in 1973. With the movie titled after his nickname, Johnson served as a technical advisor on the film and was portrayed by Jeff Bridges.

Johnson is survived by his wife, Lisa, as well as his two children, Meredith Suzanne and Robert Glenn Johnson III.

]]>https://www.frontstretch.com/2019/12/20/junior-johnson-nascar-hall-of-famer-dies-at-88/feed/8220184Matt McLaughlin Mouths Off: Hall’In Classhttps://www.frontstretch.com/2009/07/08/matt-mclaughlin-mouths-off-hallin-class/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=matt-mclaughlin-mouths-off-hallin-class
Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:12:39 +0000https://frontstretch.com/site/?p=22631I’ve gotten a lot of email from readers asking me which five people I hope, or think, will make up the first set of inductees into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame. I’ve debated the topic with more than a few fans and have to agree that narrowing the group down to just five individuals is a difficult task -- though, in my mind, selecting four of the first five folks so honored is a no-brainer few can dispute.

Let me preface my picks by saying that I feel no active driver, or even semi-active driver, should be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame.

I’ve gotten a lot of email from readers asking me which five people I hope, or think, will make up the first set of inductees into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame. I’ve debated the topic with more than a few fans and have to agree that narrowing the group down to just five individuals is a difficult task — though, in my mind, selecting four of the first five folks so honored is a no-brainer few can dispute.

Let me preface my picks by saying that I feel no active driver, or even semi-active driver, should be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame. Allowing an active driver to make the Hall would turn the balloting process from a recognition of career long achievement into a popularity contest. Drivers like Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson will all be inducted one day, but their storied careers aren’t over yet. To vote them in this year or next would be like writing a book review on a novel that’s only half-finished. As best I recall, no other sport allows players to be inducted into their Halls of Fame until they retire.

I’d also like to state on the record that I feel the rule stating that any driver had to have been actively involved with NASCAR racing for at least 10 years to even be considered for inclusion is wrong. Call me paranoid, but it seems like a backdoor mechanism to make sure that Tim Richmond never enters the Hall. The rift between Richmond, the first modern era driver to stand up to NASCAR, and the France family is legendary, with the wounds especially raw right now considering the whole Jeremy Mayfield mess. Unfortunately, the 10-year rule also means that other Cup drivers like former champion Alan Kulwicki and the late Davey Allison can never be inducted.

Editor’s Note: The top 25 finalists do include drivers like Joe Weatherly, Red Byron, and others who don’t fit the 10-year rule Matt discusses. No clarification has been provided from NASCAR on these exceptions.

Two individuals top my list of nominees as no-brainers — so obvious that the exclusion of either of them would destroy the credibility of the Hall: Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. (Lest any newer fans become confused, I am, of course, referring to driver of the black No. 3 car who won seven titles — not his kid who is struggling to post top 10 finishes in the No. 88 car this season.)

Petty was NASCAR’s first seven-time champion. He won 200 races at NASCAR’s top level, including seven Daytona 500s — marks that nobody is ever going to match. He won 10 races in a row in 1967, part of a year in which he set the sport’s single-season victory record at 27. Petty might have won many more races, too, if not for the 1965 Chrysler Boycott of NASCAR racing when he was in his prime. While the organization he took over from his late father Lee Petty has struggled since the King retired, Petty remains active in NASCAR racing today and provides the only living link between NASCAR’s first Cup race in 1949 and the present day era.

Perhaps more importantly, Richard Petty was the face of stock car racing back in an era when the general public knew little of the sport. His beaming smile, simple nature, and “aw shucks” attitude embodied the sport in its infancy. Petty’s willingness to hang out in the garage area and sign autographs until every last fan who wanted one had been greeted and accommodated is one of the reasons this sport flourished and developed such a fanatically loyal fan base. Today’s drivers would do well to attend the Petty School of Public Relations, even as they earn more for a lackluster season than the King earned during his entire career as the sport’s most prolific winner.

When TV started paying attention to stock car racing, Petty was, of course, the star of the show. His last lap altercation with David Pearson in the 1976 Daytona 500, shown in part on ABC, grabbed national headlines. He was the eventual winner of the 1979 Daytona 500 — the first superspeedway race shown flag-to-flag on CBS — after the infamous Donnie Allison/Cale Yarborough last lap wreck that shoved NASCAR into the national spotlight.

Of course Petty hung on too long, racing for years beyond his last win in 1984 to the point he even failed to qualify for races. But that was his right. He put up the carnival tent, and he deserved to remain in the ring. There have been and will be other multi-time champions, and there will be drivers who define their eras — but none like Petty. Always and forever, there will only be one King of NASCAR racing… Period. End of sentence. It isn’t open for debate. If you think otherwise, you, sir, are a fool.

Earnhardt’s early career overlapped the twilight years of Petty’s racing legend. The two battled side-by-side numerous times, and Earnhardt’s 1980 title might be seen in retrospect as the changing of the guard as drivers like Earnhardt, Bill Elliott, and Rusty Wallace began dominating while the proven heroes like Petty, Yarborough, Pearson, and Bobby Allison entered their twilight.

When Earnhardt was in his prime, ESPN adopted the sport of stock car racing. Dale became the face of our sport — the rough around the edges, straight shooting, former mill-town kid who wheeled a stock car fender-to-fender and bumper-to-bumper with both generations of drivers, no quarter given and no quarter asked. His hard-charging, take no prisoner, offer no apologies style of racing enthralled a television audience, adopting a sport which once was a regional curiosity and making it a national sensation. Some fans worshiped him and some fans loathed him, but when it came down to those last laps, all eyes were glued on that number 3 car. No question about it, Earnhardt defined the sport in his era.

In his later years, the Intimidator mellowed a bit. He was better spoken, if still controversial from time to time. But when Earnhardt spoke in the garage, everyone right up to Bill France, Jr. listened. Earnhardt seemed a force unto himself — an unstoppable force until that tragic last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. In death, Earnhardt was on the cover of both of the top news weekly magazines and was the lead story on most national newscasts. Dale was larger than life, but twice as real is the way his army of fans still mourn his passing on a daily basis and sorely miss seeing that black number 3 car out there creating havoc and collecting trophies every Sunday afternoon.

Pearson seems another obvious pick to me. His 105 Cup wins are second only to Petty — and Pearson ran part-time most seasons. Pearson won two titles during the great factory wars of the ’60s, and when paired with the legendary Wood Brothers during the transition from manufacturer involvement to the current days of sponsor-driven race teams, he was a nearly unstoppable force on the superspeedways. The Silver Fox would hang back most of the race, but when it got down to the money laps at the end, he’d come charging out of nowhere to become a factor. And when it came down to wheeling a race car on worn tires, Pearson was practically unequaled, with the only possible exception being Richmond.

Personality-wise, Pearson was the embodiment of cool, even if his way of calmly smoking cigarettes in the car under caution isn’t entirely PC these days. Regardless, many of his contemporaries have shown their respect by recognizing Pearson as the toughest challenge they ever had to face on the way to Victory Lane… even more so than his longtime rival, the King.

My fourth nominee is Yarborough, the first driver to win three consecutive championships — a record that lasted nearly 30 years until Johnson pulled off the feat last year. Yarborough won 83 Cup races, with 14 of those victories scored after he cut back to a part-time schedule in 1981 in order to spend more time with his family. Cale was short of stature, but broad in shoulder. He’d emerge from a winning race car with his face tomato red, and, after downing a few beers in Victory Lane, he’d proclaim he hadn’t done anything extraordinary; he’d just done his job. Yarborough drove for legendary car owner Junior Johnson in his prime and, by estimation, he’s the only driver that Junior never felt was “laying down on him.”

The above four picks seem self-evident to me. It’s when we get down to the final of five finalists, I have to struggle. Again, without disrespecting any current driver, I am limiting my picks to retired drivers. Here are my top five potential nominees for slot number five:

Bobby Allison – Allison’s only title came in 1983, but he won 85 Cup races. (Some sources say 84, but that disregards his win in a Ford Mustang which was legally entered in a Grand National race at Bowman-Gray Stadium in 1971. The issue might seem insignificant until one recalls Allison and archrival Darrell Waltrip are officially tied at 84 wins with the non-inclusion of Allison’s win in a Mustang.) Bobby won a highly emotional 1988 Daytona 500 victory over his son Davey, just months before the elder Allison was critically injured at Pocono, suffering closed head injuries that would forever alter his life. The wreck ended Allison’s Cup racing career, but he’d later lose much more — both of his sons, Davey and Clifford — to the sport. On a emotional level, there’s no better pick for the fifth inductee than Allison.

Tim Flock – Most newer fans have never even heard of Flock. But based on percentages, his 39 wins in just 149 starts remains the golden standard. In 1955, driving for the unassailable Karl Kiekhaefer squad, Flock won 18 of that season’s 39 races he entered. And you want to talk about tough? Flock started racing again just months after his head was run over in the infield while he was napping.

Junior Johnson – Johnson never won a championship as a driver, but he did win 50 races. As a team owner, he won 132 races and six titles. More than anything else, the convicted moonshiner (never caught on the road but busted while tending his ailing Daddy’s still) was perhaps the most colorful figure ever associated with a sport that is chock full of them. I’m not sure there’s ever been a man ever born besides Johnson whose every utterance in his deep Southern drawl was instantly quotable. As a driver, Junior was WFO every lap — he’d either win, or his equipment would break. As an owner, he expected the same of his drivers, who ranged from hard chargers LeeRoy Yarbrough, Yarborough, Curtis Turner, and Waltrip to more calculating men like Terry Labonte and Elliott. More than once, Junior would ask his drivers who were running second, “Boy, you ain’t laying down on me out there, are you?”

Johnson once famously bought Darrell Waltrip a mule as a reward for winning a title, saying, “Every good man needs a mule.” Darrell’s agent had once asked Junior what he’d do for Waltrip if he won a title. Junior’s reply was simple: “I’ll tell you what I’ll do to him if he don’t.” In a sport forged in the hard-scrabble, bare-fisted mountains of North Carolina, Junior Johnson still epitomizes that time and era. He’s the toughest son of a bitch to ever wheel a race car around a rutted dirt track and win… or blow trying. “The Last American Hero,” Tom Wolfe once wrote of Johnson. Indeed.

Darrell Waltrip – It might be tough for newer fans who know him only from his TV work to conceive but, in his day, old DW was a right handy racer. He won three titles and 84 races, the most of any driver in NASCAR’s “modern era” (1972-present). Almost as importantly, as TV became the main medium for this sport, Waltrip was the first media-savvy driver. In an era when Earnhardt could only snap, mutter, and curse on camera, Waltrip was a great interview off the track. On it, his rivalries with Yarborough and Bobby Allison were the stuff of legends. Yes, he’s now an annoying old man who makes you wish you could go deaf during the FOX portion of the season, and yes, he’s the ultimate NASCAR kiss-ass; but in his day, ol’ DW could drive a race car about as well as any man that ever lived.

Lee Petty – If there’s any man who might give Junior Johnson a run for his money as the “toughest son of a bitch” in racing, it was Lee Petty. We’re talking a guy who once put his own son into the wall because he wasn’t convinced Richard was getting out of his way fast enough when the elder Petty came up to lap him. And that was his softer side; Lee once took several laps around the track with Richard on the hood of his car after the King wasn’t fast enough cleaning his windshield during a pit stop. NASCAR finally had to black flag Petty, who gave his son a bare-ass spanking after the incident to chastise him for not jumping off the car when ordered to do so. Yes, Lee Petty was about as cuddly as a cactus, but he could wheel a dang race car. He won 54 races, including the first Daytona 500, and claimed three titles. Petty would have won four, but NASCAR stripped him of all his points when he chose to run in a race the sanctioning body didn’t support. Petty finished in the top 10 in an astounding 332 of his 427 career starts, and from 1949 to 1959, he never finished outside the top five in points. A savage wreck in one of the 1961 Daytona qualifying races saw Petty’s No. 42 car fly out of the ballpark into the parking lot, effectively ending his career as a driver just as his son began to excel.

In racing, there’s Tough and there’s North Carolina Tough. Lee Petty was the epitome of North Carolina Tough. Even in this era, if Junior Johnson, Flock, and Lee Petty were still out there racing, some of the young drivers currently competing in the sport would still be waiting tables at a Red Lobster.

]]>22631Mirror Driving: Logano A Legend Already?, Loudon’s Last Gasp, And Who’s Hall of Fame Worthyhttps://www.frontstretch.com/2009/07/01/mirror-driving-logano-a-legend-already-loudons-last-gasp-and-whos-hall-of-fame-worthy/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mirror-driving-logano-a-legend-already-loudons-last-gasp-and-whos-hall-of-fame-worthy
https://www.frontstretch.com/2009/07/01/mirror-driving-logano-a-legend-already-loudons-last-gasp-and-whos-hall-of-fame-worthy/#commentsWed, 01 Jul 2009 00:40:53 +0000https://frontstretch.com/site/?p=22411*Joey Logano's surprise win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway made him the youngest driver ever to win a Sprint Cup race. Where does his season rank among other active drivers' rookie campaigns?*

Jeff: Well, he’s probably the highest paid … But I am not surprised.Beth: He has actually surprised me.

Welcome to “Mirror Driving.” Every week, your favorite columnists sit down and give their opinion about the latest NASCAR news and rumors. Love us or hate us, make a comment below and tell us how you feel about what we’ve said!

Joey Logano‘s surprise win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway made him the youngest driver ever to win a Sprint Cup race. Where does his season rank among other active drivers’ rookie campaigns?

Jeff: Well, he’s probably the highest paid… But I am not surprised.Beth: He has actually surprised me.Bryan: Honestly, his rookie campaign hasn’t been all that impressive. Kyle Busch looked better his first year and so did Jamie McMurray back in 2003. He has definitely shown improvement, though. The talent level is there.Jeff: His ‘class’ level is a thousand times that of Busch’s!Mike N.: And he’s not up to Tony Stewart, that’s for sure, but at this point he’s doing better than I thought he would.Amy: Better than Jeff Gordon‘s. He didn’t win it on track though, so he’s not on track with guys like Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, or Ryan Newman. He’s doing about what I figured he would, in general.Mike N.: The talent level is definitely there, and with that team, he could still rip off another win or two. But he’s not shown like Stewart did his rookie year.Bryan: He’s gotten to a point he’s finishing races consistently, and that’s a big stepping stone in itself.Amy: Right Mike. He has his moments, but he was genuinely humbled and he’s finishing consistently, running top 15 to nearly top 10.Bryan: I agree entirely. JGR has to be nothing but pleased with his performance.Amy: I think more has been expected of rookies since Stewart came in. And Johnson had what is arguably the finest rookie season ever.Bryan: And still couldn’t win ROTY, Amy!Amy: I know, that system is crazy.Mike N.: He’s already tearing up less stuff than I thought he would be.Amy: Yeah, and Gordon tore stuff up every week as a rookie.Bryan: I still don’t like the practice that Gordon started of having youngsters season themselves by wrecking Cup cars instead of coming to Cup seasoned a la Martin Truex, Jr. But Logano has done everything that could be expected and then some this year. He is definitely worth the hype.Beth: And to be fair to Joey, he’s got some pretty big shoes to fill, following Stewart in that No. 20.Jeff: Well, Gibbs aint ‘rushing’ him… I don’t think.Mike N.: No they aren’t, Jeff. J.D. and Joe new what they had going in and they have stuck by their guns.Jeff: Joey won’t have to ‘worry’ about a ride for awhile. Gibbs has shown that Joey is his man for the No. 20, even if moving up to Cup was a little faster than J.D. or Joe would have liked.Mike N.: You’ve got that right, Jeff. They have tagged him as the man and they’re going to stick with him. David Ragan might want to take notice of that.Beth: And it’s definitely refreshing to see a team stand behind their driver no matter what.Jeff: Amen to that, Beth.Mike N.: Well don’t forget, he tore up a bunch of stuff early in the season. It’s not like he came out of the box smoking.Amy: That’s a part of the equation these days, Mike.Bryan: The team aspect is what can’t be overstated enough: as good as Joey’s been, he’s with one hell of a race team.Jeff: Yeah, arguably one of best crew chiefs.Beth: He’s done exactly what a rookie should do: improve as he gets more time behind the wheel.Amy: He’s had a learning curve for sure, Mike, and he did get lucky Sunday… and I’m not putting him down for luck — they were in position and that’s all you can ask for.Jeff: You get lucky in racing.Beth: Luck or not, it’s one in the win column for him.Mike N.: Well, they were in position because they weren’t that good. Point is, he stole one, there’s no question. But sometimes that’s how you win ‘em.Amy: But he’s not having a terrible year, and he’s probably not going to have a year like Johnson and Newman did in ’02, either.Bryan: The win he scored Sunday does not catapult his year from something more than a rookie campaign. But it does serve well for everyone to take stock that he is well on his way to stardom.Beth: Agreed.Mike N.: And, for now, he’s the youngest winner ever in the series.Jeff: That has to tear Kyle up.Bryan: Kyle was certainly dialed down a lot this weekend. It almost seems like JGR finally gave him a kick in the ass before they went to Loudon. But back to Joey, it’s all been said. He’s the real deal, and it won’t be long before he’s winning races, not stealing them.Beth: Logano is definitely doing exactly what he needs to be doing. He’s improving has he gets more experience behind the wheel, but he still has a lot to learn.Mike N.: Logano is having a decent rookie year, but it would be more fun if Brad Keselowski was running for ROY, but oh well…Bryan: How bout Kes? Another Cup top 10 finish!Mike N.: He stole that too.Bryan: He didn’t steal his Cup win this year, though.Jeff: Kes will be another star, too.

NHMS has made several upgrades recently. Will this be enough for the track to keep two dates, or does the track need to go further?

Amy: I will admit I cringed when SMI bought out Bob Bahre but I’ve been pleasantly surprised. They have done a good job.Mike N.: It is hard to say, Amy. Kentucky is going to get a date once the lawsuit is settled, and it is coming from either New Hampshire or Atlanta.Jeff: It should come from California.Mike N.: California is an ISC track.Jeff: Sigh… I know.Mike N.: As long as Atlanta fans treat NASCAR like all of their other professional sports, then NHMS is probably safe.Bryan: There’s not much else Loudon can do. And frankly, it shouldn’t be in the discussion. Better facility now upgraded, and better attendance than Atlanta. End of discussion.Beth: I was happy with the racing on the track Sunday, and I don’t think there’s a reason to take a race away from a track that puts on a good race.Bryan: Atlanta’s crowd for the March race was a joke. An absolute joke.Amy: NASCAR should make them take it from Atlanta. If they want a cookie cutter, fine, but take it from a cookie cutter.Mike N.: NASCAR should give them a date and not make them take one from anywhere. NASCAR has never given Bruton a date, he’s bought every one he has. Like Phoenix needs two dates…Amy: California needs two races like the desert needs more sand. But back to New Hampshire, I thought the double file restarts really made a difference.Bryan: They’ve made a difference everywhere.Jeff: Double files should have been done all along as I’ve said for years.Amy: I agree, Bryan, but it really showed at NHMS this week. It was very, very racy. And seriously, NHMS is a very, very nice facility in every aspect, and the race was one of the best all year. That is something the track worked a long time for.Bryan: Yeah, NHMS looked great on TV this weekend. Good crowd, the infield looked sharp.Mike N.: I think New Hampshire is safe for now. But once Kentucky gets their date and Bruton buys Iowa, look out.Bryan: I don’t know if I’m ready to say it was one of the season’s best races, but NHMS certainly can put on a good show consistently.Amy: A lot of fans complain about Bruton, but SMI tracks are light years ahead of ISC in terms of fan friendliness and facilities.Beth: I saw racing this weekend similar to the kind that got me into NASCAR 15 years ago. There is still hope for the future of NASCAR!Mike N.: I’ve always thought New Hampshire had good races, except for that restrictor plate thing they threw at us.Bryan: NHMS should not even be considered for a date cut. California sucks, and on the SMI slate Atlanta has done nothing to merit keeping two dates.Beth: Take the date from Atlanta to give to Kentucky and call it a day. There’s no reason to take it from NHMS.Mike N.: It is tough to pass, but there is a ton of side-by-side racing.Beth: That was the appeal when I started watching NASCAR, Mike.Mike N.: And I agree Atlanta loses one first, but once Bruton buys Iowa, I think New Hampshire is in trouble.Jeff: I didn’t know he was shopping for Iowa.Bryan: He will be. Iowa has to get money to expand from somewhere.Mike N.: And where else is he going to buy?Jeff: That’d be cool. I like Bruton.Mike N.: I have mixed emotions with Bruton. I like what he does for fans and his facilities but he’s lied to my face and I don’t like that.Jeff: I trust Bruton more than I do Rusty Wallace.Bryan: Bruton’s a businessman. But in his defense, he doesn’t pretend not to be one.

NASCAR will announce the 25 nominees to the new hall of fame, a field that will be narrowed to just five inductees. So who should be in the first class to enter?

Bryan:Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and David Pearson for starters.Mike N.: I don’t know why they’re doing 25. That is such a waste of time. Earnhardt, Petty and Big Bill are in, no questions asked. After that there may be some debate. I personally think T. Wayne Robertson and Junior Johnson should be in but I don’t know that they’ll get enough support right off of the bat.Beth: Earnhardt and Petty for sure. Junior Johnson definitely should be a part of that group.Amy: My five would be Bill France, Petty, Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough and Lee Petty. Junior Johnson and Yarborough were tough for me. Maybe Junior, actually, now that three in a row is no longer solely Cale’s record.Mike N.:Tim Flock and Fireball Roberts should be up there, too. Junior’s in because he was a legendary driver and owner — and he did so much to move the sport into the modern era.Bryan: This is why there’s 25 of them. Besides the King, Dale and Bill France, there is going to be loads of debate.Mike N.: I don’t think there’s THAT much debate, Bryan.Jeff: Think Gordon would make it? Simply as a symbol of the new marketing era? And of course, those four championships.Mike N.: You have to be retired, Jeff. So do we all agree on Petty, Earnhardt and Big Bill?Beth: Definitely.Amy: I think so.Mike N.: OK, so we have two spots left.Amy: Lee Petty.Bryan: Pearson.Mike N.: My vote is for T. Wayne and Junior Johnson with Pearson and Bill Jr. getting honorable mention.Amy: Bill Jr. would be a good choice as long as Brian France never gets in.Jeff: Too bad Brian France cant be inducted… or indicted.Bryan: Lee Petty and Pearson get my votes. Junior and Fireball are right in the running as well.Mike N.: I personally think Pearson is the best driver ever, with Herb Thomas tight on his heels.Bryan: Couldn’t agree more, Mike. Pearson is underrated to a fault.Amy: If Junior Johnson gets inducted, he’ll have been inducted AND indicted.Bryan: And damn if he doesn’t have something to say about today’s NASCAR! I take that back, Johnson and Pearson won’t get in, they’re too anti-modern NASCAR — it won’t market well.Mike N.: Junior and David both.Amy: Beth, what do you think?Beth: I’m having a hard time narrowing it down to just two more, Amy. I’m leaning towards Johnson and Pearson, but then I start thinking of others that belong in there as well.Amy: It’s hard. I’m a little surprised that they aren’t putting more than five in in the first year.Mike N.: I am surprised too. I thought they’d do 10 or 15 the first year.Jeff: Well, like I said, I really don’t care who they induct. That kind of thing just doesn’t trip my trigger.Beth: They should induct 10 or 15 out of the gate.Mike N.: On top of the fact that there are two other stock car racing Hall of Fames already in existence …Bryan: NASCAR has to do their own thing, they need more money, somehow. They’re having the same problem the feds are. The money bags (read: fans) are leaving where they’re being fleeced.Jeff: Yeah, just like NASCAR to finally get around to honoring the men that made the family billions.Mike N.: I was surprised to find out there is more than just NASCAR in the building. They’re renting out office space in the building. They should have endorsed the one in Talladega.Jeff: How would you like to have NASCAR as your landlord?Amy: I think this is one area where they do need to be on par with other sports, though. And there are too many new fans that have no clue about the history. If the HOF can teach them, cool.Bryan: Please, the NASCAR version of the history of the sport will read like a fifth grade history text book saying Abe Lincoln freed the slaves, and that was all the Civil War was about.Mike N.: I knew Bryan could bring the Emancipation Proclamation into this. You’re the man Bryan.Bryan: I don’t trust NASCAR enough to have them tell their own story.Jeff: Bryan never has loose ends at the end of the day! Do you?

The Nationwide Series will go to a double-file restart starting at Daytona. Is that a wise move for the series, or is it too much for some of the less experienced drivers to handle?

Beth: People keep making such a big deal about the double-file restarts, but these guys do it every week when they’re starting the race. If they would just treat it like the start of the race, they would be just fine.Mike N.: It is a huge recipe for disaster. Although it will be nice to see Kyle and Carl Edwards side-by-side once Carl gets his act back together.Bryan: They’ve always started double-wide. It’s just a difference of who is starting where in the double-file line. Bring it on.Amy: I think it’s going to be hairy at first, and I do question them starting at Daytona, of all places. But it’s still a good idea.Jeff: Oh give me a break! If Joe Schmoe can handle it every week at the local dirt track, these boys should be able to cope.Mike N.: I don’t think Joe Schmoe handles it at the local tracks. There are more wrecks on restarts than any other time at local tracks.Bryan: For crying out loud, the last Nationwide plate race was cleaner than the Cup race at ‘Dega! It’ll be all Cup guys up front anyway. And besides, since its a plate race, everyone is going to have to worry about staying in line to get the motors revved up anyway. We’re not going to have four-wide racing as soon as they drop the green.Mike N.: The Nationwide cars crank up faster on plate tracks. They’ll be all over the place by Turn 3.Bryan: If John Wes Townley doesn’t qualify (which very well could happen), the field will be safe.Jeff: Like Bryan and I said about the double-file starts, it’s not new, it’s just new who is up there.Amy: I think the restarts have really improved racing. I’m not sure there should be changes in race procedure at random times all year, though.Mike N.: It will be interesting. I think we’ll have more wrecks, but that will bring out more fans. Just look at this past weekend: Biggest Cup wreck ever at New Hampshire.Beth: That was just because Dale Earnhardt, Jr. didn’t get a good start.Bryan: Look at the biggest wreck that happened at Dover back in June 2004. Right after a restart, and that wasn’t “shootout style.” Restarts, no matter who lines up where, are always hairy.Jeff: That’s what I am saying. If anything, you won’t have as many wrecks cause all the guys up front have more to lose.Mike N.: We’ll see. I think most of the guys up front won’t give a crap, because they’re not running for Nationwide points.

OK, how about predictions for Daytona?

Mike N.: Stewart.Amy: I am going to go with Stewart too.Mike N.: Oh crap, I can’t take what Amy did. I’ll switch to Junior.Bryan: Smoke. The No. 14 is going to tear the field a new one for the next month and a half, and it all starts with another Pepsi 400 trophy. Oops… Coke Zero 400 trophy.Beth: Decisions, decisions… Plate races are always a crapshoot. I was going to go with Junior, but I think I’m going to go with Gordon instead.Jeff: Well, I’m an Edhead, so I got to go with Carl. He’s got to win one sometime.Mike N.: Not in a plate car he doesn’t.Jeff: Who? Carl? Carl damn near won the last one. Until he had that little problem with the fence.Mike N.: Wow, no one is going with Keselowski?Bryan: Kes scores a top 20 — I’ll come out and say that.Mike N.: Kes flips before the race is over and finishes outside the top 30.Amy: Darkhorse: Brian Vickers.Mike N.: Darkhorse: Greg Biffle.Bryan: Darkhorse: Dale Jr.Jeff: Darkhorse: David Reutimann.Mike N.: Pitch Blackhorse: Joe Nemechek.Bryan: He’s going to park, Mike.Mike N.: I know, that’s why it’s pitch black.Bryan: I wonder if Vegas is taking bets on which team parks fastest these days?

Mirror Predictions 2009

Welcome to our third consecutive year of Mirror Predictions! Each week, our experts take the end of this column to tell us who the winner of each Cup race will be. But as we all know, predicting the future is difficult if not completely impossible… so how do you know which writer you can trust when you put your own reputation (or money) on the line?

That’s why we came up with our Mirror Predictions Chart. The scoring for this year is simple:

]]>https://www.frontstretch.com/2009/07/01/mirror-driving-logano-a-legend-already-loudons-last-gasp-and-whos-hall-of-fame-worthy/feed/322411The Yellow Stripe: Drivers I Never Got To See, But Wish I Hadhttps://www.frontstretch.com/2008/07/21/drivers-i-never-got-to-see-but-wish-i-had/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=drivers-i-never-got-to-see-but-wish-i-had
Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:40:25 +0000https://frontstretch.com/site/?p=15802This list of drivers I never saw but wish I had is about as unscientific as you’re going to get. I’ve not restricted myself at all in terms of criteria, and in a couple of cases, I quote from sources that know much more than I. Where relevant, I’ve explained my reasoning, so you know I'm just not pulling these things right out of thin air. Some choices are obvious and others may surprise you; so if you think I’m missing someone, write in and tell me why.

My first week in the States, I watched a “Beyond the Glory” program which focused on NFL quarterback Kurt Warner. Not knowing his story — remember, I’m a transplanted Brit — I was mesmerized by Warner’s meteoric rise from shelf stacker to Super Bowl MVP. Whether you like the guy or not, it would be churlish to deny his is an incredible “against all odds” tale — the very sort that makes sport so compelling to all of us.

After coming so late (and so fast) into NASCAR, one of the most enjoyable parts of learning the sport has been researching the history of drivers and teams long past. Already through this column, I’ve exchanged email with a man whose father took him to the very earliest races on Daytona Beach — a reminder that the sport’s beginnings are still not forgotten 60 years after NASCAR began in 1948. I’ve learned quickly that there are many legendary drivers I’ve already missed out on, and so many stories that have already played out. They’re stories about the sort of drivers the longtime fans wax lyrical about: legends who were anything but politically correct, drivers who were real characters and not sponsor-jabbering automatons, and wheelmen who helped shape the sport back when NASCAR was still true to its roots.

This list of drivers I never saw but wish I had is about as unscientific as you’re going to get. I’ve not restricted myself at all in terms of criteria, and in a couple of cases, I quote from sources that know much more than I. Where relevant, I’ve explained my reasoning, so you know I’m just not pulling these things right out of thin air. Some choices are obvious and others may surprise you; so if you think I’m missing someone, write in and tell me why.

Without further ado… here’s the list.

Robert “Red” Byron
“Red” Byron was NASCAR’s first ever Strictly Stock champion. He won twice in the inaugural eight-race 1949 season, driving a ’49 Oldsmobile owned by Raymond Parks at places like Langhorne, Pa., Hamburg, N.Y., and the road course at Daytona Beach. Byron started racing in the early ’30s, but he put his burgeoning career on hold to serve his country as a rear gunner on a B-24 Liberator in World War II — a heavy bomber. On his 58th mission, that plane was shot down over Kikta in the Aleutian Islands, injuring Byron while in the line of duty. Doctors feared he would never walk again — let alone drive — but Red had other ideas. It took some 27 months to rebuild his leg, but he returned to racing, winning the first ever NASCAR-sanctioned race run on the Daytona Beach road course in 1948. He went on to win the championship that year before becoming Strictly Stock’s first official champion.

“The King” Richard Petty
200 wins? Now that’s a NASCAR record that will never be broken. Think about it — the next closest is David Pearson with 115. Plus, Petty got to drive that Plymouth Superbird, which, in my eyes, is the coolest car in NASCAR history.

Benny Parsons
Perhaps my favorite story as I researched the history of NASCAR was that of Parsons winning the Winston Cup at Rockingham in 1973. The improbable tale of different teams in the garage coming together with parts and pieces to miraculously put BP’s mangled racecar back on the track is nothing short of brilliant, and it’s both a testament and tribute to the man himself. Their grit and determination were enough to get BP a 25th-place finish after an early wreck, which earned him the points needed for a title over heavyweights Cale Yarborough and Petty. Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is as good as it gets.

Junior Johnson
The legendary moonshiner won 50 races before picking up six Winston Cup titles as a car owner — three apiece for Darrell Waltrip and Yarborough. He was the subject of a critically acclaimed 1973 movie The Last American Hero starring Jeff Bridges — and also the recipient of a presidential pardon for his 1956 moonshining conviction. That pardon allowed Johnson to once again vote and receive a passport. Talk about a life fully lived… and he’s still going strong at 76, producing fried pork skin and country ham after retiring from the racing scene in 1995.

Ricky Craven
Two reasons for picking the man from Newburgh, Maine: first, that amazing finish at Darlington when he out-dragged Kurt Busch, one that’ll live on the highlight reels for generations to come. As a driver, he won just two Cup races in 278 tries — but if you’re going to win one, you may as well do it with arguably the best ever finish to a NASCAR race.

Secondly, I absolutely love Craven’s articles as a NASCAR scribe. As a columnist, he has a simple and easy way of explaining the technical aspects of driving, making his a must-read column each week for this journalist.

Tim Richmond
Someone who was more than just a little bit different. I could write on, but my colleague, Tommy Thompson, wrote an excellent profile, that says it far more eloquently than I possibly could.

Darrell Waltrip
I still find it hard to separate DW — the hard-nosed, don’t-give-an-inch racer — from the avuncular and gregarious presenter I’ve grown to enjoy. But his clear passion for racing is what does it for me more than anything else (I’m definitely on the pro side of the “Boogity argument”). I also have to give a tip of the cap to perhaps the worst celebration in sporting history. Yep, I’m talking about the Icky Shuffle in Victory Lane at Daytona back in 1989. Seriously, Darrell…

A quick aside: I’d like to see his brother Michael win another race, if only to see how much he would flaunt it on “Inside Sprint Cup” on SPEED Channel. In all honesty, he might spontaneously combust with happiness.

Cale Yarborough
At the start of this season, the Frontstretch writing team had a conference call to talk about plans for the season. We all introduced ourselves (especially the new writers like myself) and as part of the intro, we all mentioned our favorite drivers. Now, Yarborough is a name you might have expected to hear, but I was struck by the answer of one of the columnists: “Favorite driver… (pause)… Cale… (another pause) No one’s come close since.”

Davey Allison
Marty Smith of ESPN lists Allison as his favorite driver of all time. As he puts it: “[Allison was] always consistent and with underappreciated talent. I loved the No. 28 Thunderbird, too — especially the white-front, black-back, metallic-gold No. 28 Thunderbird. That was the baddest car in NASCAR history.” Can’t argue with my man Marty on that one.

Alan Kulwicki
Another unbelievable story with such a tragic ending. Would NASCAR be different had he lived? There are those that say it would. For me, it’s the age-old story of one man against the rest of the world that I like more than anything. And in one sense, he marked the end of an era: Kulwicki will surely be the last single-car owner-driver to win a points championship.

Writer’s Note: I wrote the next portion of the column before the announcement that Mark Martin would drive Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 5 Chevrolet next year. I wanted to include it for the record, however, and also to give a shout out to the extremely loyal Martin fans out there hoping that next year is their wish that comes true.

Mark Martin
Yes, I am aware Martin is still driving, but I’m talking about the Martin that hadn’t yet lost those 46 points in 1990 for an illegal but non-performance enhancing part. I only got to see him at the tail end of his career and — although he did make the Chase in my first season as a fan, and even went to Homestead with an outside chance of winning it all — you couldn’t help but feel his time had passed.

Still, four second-place points finishes and the love of a legion of loyal fans is more than good enough for me to put him on this list. Nice guys don’t always finish first — and Martin’s the prime example of that — but he’s had a great time racing, and he’ll leave with a ton of memories on his own terms, with the affection of everyone involved in the sport and millions of fans throughout the country.

]]>15802That’s History Profile: Junior Johnsonhttps://www.frontstretch.com/2007/08/02/junk-in-the-trunk-driven-to-the-past-junior-johnson/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=junk-in-the-trunk-driven-to-the-past-junior-johnson
Thu, 02 Aug 2007 21:22:30 +0000https://frontstretch.com/site/?p=8461Robert Glen Johnson, Junior was born June 28th, 1931 in the tiny burg of Ingle Hollow, N.C. Like many of his day from the region, Junior dabbled in the production of grain alcohol corn whiskey; known far and wide as Moonshine. The Johnson family produced the stuff for consumption as well as distribution, and the latter would land him in trouble with the U.S. Government in 1956. He would spend nearly a year in an Ohio federal prison prior to his release in the fall of 1957. Although he was never caught "ridin' dirty," he was captured by his father's still after a foot pursuit through the wilderness of Wilkes County, what was to bootlegging then what Charlotte is to NASCAR today.

If there is one name that is synonymous with NASCAR’s storied past, it is Junior Johnson. This pioneer of big-time stock car racing helped to shape the sport to what it has become today, despite the efforts of some to cover up the dirty little secret surrounding NASCAR’s origins. Junior was good for racing, and racing was good for Junior. Besides keeping him out of a federal penitentiary, it afforded him the opportunity to use his wit for good, rather than engage in certain nefarious activities. An innovator who was as competent behind the wheel as he was over the wall or atop the pit box, Johnson is one of the living legends of our sport, and the key cog linking its past to the present.

Robert Glen Johnson, Junior was born June 28th, 1931 in the tiny burg of Ingle Hollow, N.C. Like many of his day from the region, Junior dabbled in the production of grain alcohol corn whiskey; known far and wide as Moonshine. The Johnson family produced the stuff for consumption as well as distribution, and the latter would land him in trouble with the U.S. Government in 1956.

He would spend nearly a year in an Ohio federal prison prior to his release in the fall of 1957. Although he was never caught “ridin’ dirty,” he was captured by his father’s still after a foot pursuit through the wilderness of Wilkes County, what was to bootlegging then what Charlotte is to NASCAR today.

It wasn’t the first time that he had run afoul of the law for running whiskey.

In 1953, Johnson earned his first conviction, which was later overturned. Following his stint in prison, the FBI launched a massive sting against the entire Johnson family. The Feds didn’t bother with an operation of that scale unless they were confident of a conviction, and they had more then enough to file charges against Junior, his mother, and his two brothers. They would have nailed his dad too, but he was already in prison. Junior was the only one who got off. His air-tight alibi? He was off racing; a career he began out of running from the law and from falling off a tractor, injuring his arm, and ending any hopes of playing baseball.

It is often believed that the scope and intensity of the of case against the Johnsons grew out of a grudge from law enforcement, having been embarrassed time and time again by Johnson, who often out-drove and out-smarted them. Like a storyline right out of The Dukes of Hazzard, stories abound of Johnson’s patented “bootlegger turn,” spinning a car 180 degrees in the middle of the road during a high-speed pursuit, and heading the opposite way before the officer knew what had happened. He also took to disguising his cars to look like police cars with lights and sirens to get by roadblocks set up for him.

Johnson made his first career start at the Southern 500 in 1953. Back then it was THE premier event on the schedule. It was the first superspeedway in an era dominated by dirt tracks and bullrings. He crashed out on lap 222, and that would be his only start of the year due to his issues with the law.

His breakout season was 1955, with his first win coming at a track where virtually all of the great drivers of the 1950s through the 1990s got their start, Hickory Speedway. Oddly enough, three of his five wins that year came at tracks in Pennsylvania and New York, driving an Oldsmobile. His next win would have to wait until 1958 due to his exile to the Buckeye state, but he scored six wins in his comeback year in Paul Spaulding’s Ford. Another five wins would follow in ’59. In 1960, driving a 1959 Chevrolet, he would win the second annual Daytona 500 over Bobby Johns and some kid named Richard Petty.

During his time at Daytona, Junior became aware during practice that his car could run at about half throttle if he’d just tuck in close behind another car on the track. He had just discovered drafting, and used this now-familiar technique to help him to victory. Accused of sand-bagging because the car was so much slower than everyone else’s, it wouldn’t be long before others finally caught on.

He would go on through the early ’60s to tally numerous wins at North Wilkesboro, Hickory, Richmond, and Martinsville. His crowning achievement would be in 1965, when he would win a career-high 13 races in his No. 11 Ford, during the Chrysler-boycotted season, including the Rebel 300 at Darlington. He had a two-lap lead in the World 600 at Charlotte until a fan fired a bottle over the fence, causing Johnson to wreck.

His final win as a driver would come at North Wilkesboro that season, giving him 50 career wins, placing him 10th in all-time wins, tied with two-time champion Ned Jarrett. Amazingly enough, Junior never won a championship, making him the driver with the most wins to never win a title.

Johnson would retire at the end of the 1966 season, turning his attention to being an owner rather than a driver. His roster of drivers reads like a who’s-who of NASCAR: LeeRoy Yarbrough, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Neil Bonnett, and Bill Elliott. He also was an innovator with car construction. His famed “Flying Banana,” a contorted 1966 Ford Galaxie that would rival today’s twisted bodies, was raced once before NASCAR instructed him to leave it at home. His 1963 Chevrolet Impala, with which he would win seven races, was underpinned by a chassis that serves as the model for the one still used to this day. Today it resides in the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh, N.C., and has even traveled to the Goodwood Auto Festival in England.

Although he never won a title as a driver, Johnson would win six championships as an owner; three in a row with Yarborough from 1976-1978, back to back titles with Waltrip in 1981 and 1982, and again in 1985. He narrowly missed out on a seventh championship with Elliott in 1992 as Alan Kulwicki, the driver AND owner, beat them by a scant 10 points. He would sell his team in 1995 to Brett Bodine, and retired to his 278-acre spread in Yadkin County. All told, as an owner and a driver, Johnson won 190 races.

During the 1960s and ’70s, the cars to run in NASCAR were either Fords or Mopars. During the mid ’70s, NASCAR moved away from racing big-blocks and turned to running small-block engines. The small block Chevrolet while the most popular street performance motor ever, was a hand grenade when it made its NASCAR debut. Through Johnson’s engineering, research and development, he turned it into a proven reliable race winner that continues today with Chevrolet’s second generation of small-block engines released in 1997.

In 1973, a movie loosely based on Tom Wolfe’s writings of Johnson’s exploits was released, on which Junior served as technical advisor. The movie, titled The Last American Hero, starred a young Jeff Bridges as Johnson, outrunning revenuers and drivers alike in a flat black Ford Mustang, replete with dubbed-in Mustang sound effects from the 1968 Steve McQueen film Bullitt.

Although his six championships and 140 wins as owner and 50 wins as a driver are startling accomplishments, his greatest feat and proudest moment was a pardon he received in 1985 from President Ronald Reagan, absolving him of his 1956 conviction. It put to rest a forgettable time in Johnson’s life, and helped grant him entry in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

It also set the stage for Johnson’s return to his roots: moonshine.

Don’t worry; Junior hasn’t gone the way of many of today’s sports stars. He has begun to market a legal brand of moonshine named Midnight Moon. Derived from the original recipe that landed him and his father in jail in the mid-1950s, Johnson is as excited about this venture as he ever was with auto racing. And he can rest easy knowing he won’t have to whip a “180” in the middle of the road in Wilkes County, potentially spilling his prized liquor, or ending up in the Stoney Lonesome.

]]>8461Mirror Driving: Is Tony Stewart Better Off Without Being In The Chase?https://www.frontstretch.com/2006/10/31/mirror-driving-tony-stewart-better-off-without-being-in-the-chase/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mirror-driving-tony-stewart-better-off-without-being-in-the-chase
Tue, 31 Oct 2006 23:13:25 +0000https://frontstretch.com/site/?p=6227Is it feasible to say missing the Chase has helped Tony Stewart? Should there be a provision in the Chase that allows drivers in his position to finish higher than 11th?

Welcome to Mirror Driving. Every week, your favorite columnists sit down and give their opinion about the latest news from the past week or race weekend. Love us or hate us, make a comment below and tell us how you feel about what we’ve said!

Is it feasible to say missing the Chase has helped Tony Stewart? Should there be a provision in the Chase that allows drivers in his position to finish higher than 11th?

Mike: It has turned out this gave him a lot more exposure. I don’t think he’d have won Kansas had he been in the Chase. It would be nice to see someone in 11th going into it have a chance to finish higher, but I don’t see how they can do that.Amy: I don’t know that it’s helped him… under the old system he’d be fourth. Unfortunately, the best the guy can do is 11th, reason number 462 the Chase sucks.Ren: You bet missing out on a title has helped him. He says himself that if it weren’t for him being out of the Chase, he couldn’t afford to drive the way he has since Richmond.Tommy: Yeah, he certainly wouldn’t have done the fuel gamble that won him Kansas.Tom: I agree with Ren. Let me tell you, there are a whole bunch of people happy that Stewart didn’t make the Chase. Their names are Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin… Stewart would be threatening a runaway if he were in it.Kim: He just hit his “slump” just prior to the Chase, bad timing. Those Chase guys better be thankful!Tommy: As for a special provisional, there shouldn’t be one.Amy: How would they give a special provisional? That’s just be letting 11 guys in instead of 10.Jeff: There should be a provision that get rid of the Chase altogether.Amy: Amen, Jeff.Tom: Yeah, but we all know that’s not going to happen.Kim: No provisions… the Chase is what it is. If they didn’t make provisions for Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. last year, do you think NASCAR would DREAM of doing it for Smoke?Ren: Maybe they could start everyone out at zero points, then run a 36-race Chase.Jeff: There’s an idea, Ren!Kim: WOW Ren, how unique and fresh!Amy: What a concept! NASCAR would never go for it, though.Tom: As far as having some sort of provisional… it’d be nice for Stewart to finish higher, but I don’t know how you’d get the job done.Toni: Wow, RenRen: Well, I’m no Brian France.Tom: Eh, I don’t know… tell Brian France there’s some sponsors dangling lots of money. He might bite! Cause, of course, it’s all about the cash.Kim: OK, so let’s pretend NASCAR allows Tony to finish higher than 11th, and then the guy in 12th would have been fifth traditionally. How could you then say, “Sorry, only 11th is allowed to advance into the top 10.”Ren: You just have to know how to get noticed, that’s all.Tommy: I agree. He’s locking in 11th place by virtue of performing so well, and gaining a spot in New York at the end of the season. That’s how it’s all designed.Kim: At least he gets the next best consolation prize.Tom: I do think the turnaruond Stewart has accomplished with the fans was amazing. Did you see the people shouting, “Tony! Tony! He’s really become adored now.Kim: I thought he was going to fall off the fence this time, though.Amy: For a second there, I was really wondering how Tony was going to get downMike: I’m sure they have a ladder for that.Tom: I’m still worried that one of these times, it’s not going to end well. Kind of like Carl Edwards and the back flip.Tommy: That was a impressive climb. Some degree of difficulty.Ren: That’s the easy part. The flagmen don’t really like the fence route, usually.Mike: I got a kick out of the fan who climbed the flagstand. Bet that guy had a fun night in jail.Tom: I think that for Stewart, missing the Chase really has become the best possible thing for him… I felt he was almost complacent in the summer, like they had the Chase in the bag. And it came back to bite him. Now, he’s kind of on a mission to prove something again… a mission that should carry well into next year.Kim: Ya know, they should have shown him making his way down the flag stand and through the crowd. Now THAT would have been more exciting than the race!Tom: Honestly, right now he’s the favorite in 2007 in my view. Again. And Edwards has used missing the Chase as the same motivator.Tommy: Tony’s tough to beat when he just races and doesn’t worry about what everyone else is doing.Jeff: It just proves that the Chase is all wrong. Anything that overtly affects the way guys run a race is downright wrong.Ren: Well, the No. 20 team has ALWAYS come on strong toward the end of the season.Tom: But Stewart is the equivalent of 445 points out with three races to go. He’d likely finish third under the old system.Ren: Unless they start giving a couple hundred points for winning a race, it doesn’t matter what they do. The drivers racing for the championship will drive for points and not for the win, leaving an opening for Stewart.Tommy: No one has ever come from 11th on back in 10 races and won the championship. That’s why the cutoff at 10 wasn’t a big deal to me. And they did sweeten the pot for 11th place.Jeff: That’s not enough. Bring back the old system and award 100 more points for winning than coming in second.Tom: Ironically, the two drivers in the best position to win the title are the two that performed the best over the regular season.Amy: Yup! Under the classic points, it would be Kenseth and Johnson… the two that have been consistently best ALL YEAR.Kim: If NASCAR awarded points for being entertaining, Kenny Wallace could be the perennial champion. Ren: Look. Stewart is having a ball now, no matter what, because he couldn’t care less HOW it’s scored since all he cares about is the points for a win. Tony’s not hampered.Tom: Exactly. No points racing has set Stewart loose – and, not surprisingly, you’re seeing fantastic results.

Now that he’s all but out of it, the question can officially be asked: Was Mark Martin the best driver never to win a title?

Kim: Of this era? Absolutely.Ren: It’s a shame, but yes, he is.Tommy: I’ll say yes. But Junior Johnson deserves an honorable mention.Mike: Junior Johnson was the best to never win a title.Amy: I agree with Mike… if he’d raced longer as a driver, that 50-win total would be much larger.Tom: I was trying to think of anyone else today that has the record Martin had in my lifetime and didn’t win. Harry Gant, maybe? But he didn’t have the longevity of success. Of course, I wasn’t around for the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s.Amy: True… Martin has been consistently championship caliber for at least 15 years.Ren: A lot of big names never won a championship when you stop and think abou it.Tom: You’re right, Ren. I just remembered another driver from the old days who should have won one, Fireball Roberts. The thing is, Martin was consistently a contender for a much longer period of time than either him or Johnson.Ren: And the 50 that Junior Johnson won weren’t at the quality of tracks that Martin had to run at, or against the quality of competition.Tommy: I’ll give Martin the edge only because of his Busch and IROC success. But Junior’s 50 is a legitimate argument.Tom: I give Martin the edge, too. But there is also that knock against him that he never won the big races, like Daytona and Indianapolis. Those are major goose eggs on his resume… which he still has the chance to correct, of course.Ren: Tommy, you can’t compare wins from before the modern era with modern era wins.Kim: You almost have to break the “eras” down by decade.Tommy: You’re right, Ren. There’s a lot of pitfalls to comparing athletes of different generations, regardless of the sport.Amy: That is true to an extent, buy 50 wins in any era is an incredible landmark that few reach.Ren: Well, I think we could all agree that Martin was definitely the best driver not to win a championship in the ’90s.

Terry Labonte retires this week at Texas. What is your favorite memory of Terry, and how do you think he fits in among NASCAR’s greatest drivers?

Amy: That’s easy, his final Southern 500.Tom: I couldn’t agree more, Amy. I feel like such a copout saying that, like I didn’t pay attention to the rest of his career or something… I mean, his win at North Wilkesboro in the mid-90s was special, too. I believe that was his 500th straight career start. But the Southern 500… it was just the peak of what he had left to give, kind of putting the stamp on the end of an era for both himself and that track. I just knew that was the end for him after that… and sure enough, he stepped out of full-time racing and never won again after 2004.Mike: For me, my memory is Terry crashing across the line at Bristol to win, and then rolling what was left of his car into Victory Lane.Ren: Yup, Mike, I will always remember that steaming Kellogg’s car pulling into the Bristol Victory Lane after Dale Earnhardt spun him out at the line.Mike: Of course, Bristol didn’t always treat him right, I remember that look on Terry’s face when they interviewed him after Earnhardt spun him for the win at Bristol a few years later. You knew he wanted to go kick the crap out of Earnhardt in Victory Lane.Amy: I’ll also remember the day at Atlanta in 1996, the one where Terry won his second title and Bobby Labonte won the race. He’s a two-time champion, winning them in two different eras… he raced hard and raced well.Ren: Two different eras?Mike: The ’80s and the ’90s. The ’80s was about the driver, the ’90s was about the car.Jeff: And the 2000s is about the money and ratings. I guess I’m a little bitter that Kellogg’s went from a guy like Labonte to a punk like Kyle Busch.Tom: Well Jeff, it’s a tale of two different eras.Kim: Speaking of two different “eras,” no one can forget the great “mustache or no mustache” debate for Terry!Amy: NO MUSTACHE!Tom: Back to Amy’s comment about the win at Atlanta for a second, Bobby Labonte came out and said this week that’s still his most special win of all. He wants to win at Texas just as badly… goes to show you how close those two are.Amy: Well, his older brother was a class act. Terry Labonte raced hard, raced well, and raced clean…what more needs to be said?Tom: You know, when I was lucky enough to interview Terry in May, I asked him if he misses all this stuff when he gets back to the racetrack. And he stopped for a second… he paused… and said, “No, not really. It’s given me more time to fish, more time to hunt, more time to spend at home in Texas.” I thought it was so appropriate… he never seemed like one of those guys that wanted to stay in the sport forever… just do his thing, take care of business, and retire to Texas.Tommy: He, like Martin, has been good for the sport. He’s leaving with his reputation as a gentleman intact.Kim: He was known for keeping his emotions in check. I wish all these young guys would take a page from the Terry Labonte school of racing book and learn from it.Tom: I didn’t like Junior giving away Labonte’s name to Jeff Burton recently… the Iceman. Because it’s a sign Terry’s no longer going to be around.Amy: He’ll be missed.

In your opinion, how was Juan Pablo Montoya‘s Busch debut? Should he be spending a year in the series to get more experience, or does 11th at Memphis prove that just a handful of races is enough?

Mike: Montoya will be fine in a Cup car. Once he learns what his spotter means when he says “high,” he’ll be up front. Oh, wait, he’ll be in Ganassi stuff. Never mind, he’ll be midpack at best.Jeff: He’ll need to get a spotter that speaks the same language, so to speak.Tom: For what little experience he has in a stock car, on a short track 11th place is pretty impressive to me.Amy: Well, he was 11th in Memphis in a great car… a car that’s already won this year, so his performance was on par. Not spectacular, but not terrible, either. He did get into some scrapes, but he got out OK in the end.

Ren: Once he’s comfortable in a stock car, which he probably is already, he won’t have any problem at all getting in a Cup car.Kim: Montoya is a great driver. He will do as well as Ganassi equipment will take him.Amy: I mean, will he light the world on fire? No. Will he flop? No. Will he run the equipment about where it’s capable of and also cause a few crashes? Sure.Tommy: The 11th has to be considered encouraging. There’s no telling what his learning curve will be, but things look hopeful, anyways. He certainly wasn’t a disaster.Tom: No, not at all Tommy… his one spin, he was actually turned by someone else. Short tracks are the hardest thing to learn when you’ve been driving open wheel cars all your life.Amy: Yes, but they’re also the easiest place to make mistakes and get away with them.Tom: Good point.Ren: That’s why they let David Ragan out on them!Amy: But he finished about where he should. Put anyone in a winning car with a winning team and they should run well… that’s what happened on Saturday.Mike: Montoya should be used to the horsepower by now. I’m sure the lack of traction control will be an issue on some early restarts, but he is talented enough that I don’t think it will be a big learning curve. I’m just curious how other drivers will respect him compared to a rookie coming in from Busch or ARCA. I’m just wondering if some people will rough him up because he’s a Formula 1 guy coming to Cup.Kim: I don’t think that will be an issue, Mike. I think the opposite will happen. They will cut him more breaks.Tommy: I’m confident with time he’ll be competent, but whether he’ll be a top driver or not is the question. I agree with Mike, I don’t see the Cup guys cutting him any breaks.Amy: Well, if Montoya is simply competent next year in Cup, it’s enough How many open wheel guys are spectacular in their first season in stock cars, anyways?Mike: Stewart. Ryan Newman.Amy: Stewart’s first year out of open wheel was 1998 in the Busch Series… that was hardly a world beater.Tom: I do still think refusing to put him in Busch for a full season is a mistake. In the Busch Series next year, you’re going to see competition dry up a bit. Because all these Cup guys are not running full-time anymore… there’ll be a downgrade in teams and talent, a tremendous opportunity to jump in and learn.Tommy: Well, I’m assuming Ganassi knows he’s in for a rough year or two.Amy: Heck, he can’t be worse than David Stremme has this year, can he?Tommy: Good point.Mike: Ganassi is as patient as they come as an owner. He knows the publicity Montoya gets out of his first year in Cup will pay for a lot of sheet metal.Jeff: Ganassi and patient never crossed my mind together. They were just the best drivers on the market he had.Tom: Well, Ganassi has the patience to develop these drivers, there’s no question about that. I don’t think this is a case of Ganassi having the best he has, Jeff. I think he truly believes Montoya can be successful.Jeff: Montoya is his best move in years.Mike: Montoya is notorious for being a hothead, though. If he blows his top when he isn’t competitive, will his team be able to keep it together?Amy: That’s true, Mike… how patient will Montoya be with the other 42 competitors? He needs to earn his respect in the NASCAR garage.Mike: That’s why I mentioned the respect thing a while ago. I am curious how it is going to play out.Ren: I don’t think that’s going to be a problem though. It’s not like he’s a 19-year-old rookie.Mike: Lucky for him, Ren, he had a team that could handle it because they had been through a championship run before.

Predictions For Texas?

Tom: I think Kenseth takes this one. The sense of urgency is there… his team knows they have to make a move, Johnson is coming. I just don’t feel like it’s Johnson’s year, again.Jeff: Stewart.Kim: I’m with Jeff. Smoke wins again, why not? Nothing to lose!Tommy:Kasey Kahne.Mike: Junior.Amy: Junior… because I want to see him in the goofy hat.Ren: Johnson.Amy: I wouldn’t mind seeing Johnson, too, because he’s the least “cowboy” of all of them.Amy: See, I think you have to base Texas picks on who looks funniest in a cowboy hat… it’s a rule.Ren: Alright. Gordon then. Jeff, not Robby.Amy: The hat would swallow Gordon whole. It’d come down to his ankles.Kim: I say Busch… he is already goofy looking, so the hat might actually help.